Kansas colleges and universities could be facing steep state funding cuts in 2018.
A legislative committee discussing possibilities for balancing the state budget put the Regents on notice Wednesday, asking how an 18 percent cut would affect higher education.
“This system will look very different from the one we’ve enjoyed for a long time," answered Board of Regents President Blake Flanders.
Flanders says a cut that big would be a shock to the system.
“If we’re asked about cuts at about this level of cuts we always take it seriously," Flanders says.
State support has been cut by $100 million since 2009. Flanders says that has already pushed tuition rates near the limits of what they can be if Kansas colleges and universities are going to stay competitive with schools in neighboring states.
Lawmakers are looking to find areas to trim the state budget to cover the cost of increased funding for K-12 schools being mandated by a Kansas Supreme Court decision.
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